Department for Transport

Heathrow Airport: Railways

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 29 May (HL15705),whether any privately funded rail scheme developed under the Market Soundings Finding Report that relies on a guarantee of franchised train operation usage complies with its funding criteria and, if not, whether the only schemes that can comply will be those on which only privately operated open access services run; how many of such schemes on which only open access operators will operate have been submitted; and whether this condition was clearly set out in the invitation to companies to submit schemes.

baroness vere of norbiton: The market sounding exercise undertaken last year did not seek specific schemes to be submitted. The exercise sought to gauge market appetite for the taking of risk in relation to the design, construction, financing and funding of a new southern rail scheme to Heathrow Airport. The briefing document published as part of the market sounding did make clear that for schemes to be considered true market led proposals, full risk would have to be borne by the private sector. This includes the acceptance of revenue risk without requiring undertakings or guarantees by government including of future train usage.

Railways: Electricity

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of rail passenger miles are powered by electricity.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes data on the electrified rail route operated by Network Rail in Great Britain. This includes routes open to passengers and freight and does not contain a breakdown for passengers only.The length of Network Rail operated electrified route in Great Britain (so excluding the High Speed 1 line, for example) was 3,583 miles in 2017-18. This represents 36% of the total Network Rail mainline railway route.This data is available at the following link:https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/c35e0c28-324f-4168-81b9-be197963f251

Roads: Accidents

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the causes of fires and spillages on highways and motorways; whether the number of fires and spillages has increased in recent years; if so, by how much; and what role litter on or around roads has played in any such increase.

baroness vere of norbiton: The number of fires and spillages on the Strategic Road Network since the formation of Highways England are as follows:Financial YearIncident TypeSpillageFireFY 2015-163,3462,364FY 2016-173,4292,660FY 2017-183,8602,816FY 2018-193,5623,105Grand Total14,19710,945 Highways England and the department recognise the potential impact of spillages on our road users and on neighbouring communities. The department recently produced guides, aimed specifically at commercial drivers, to help reduce the severity and impact of a diesel spill. Highways England is also looking at ways to improve how our own staff and service providers respond and deal with spillages. In April 2019, the department commenced a research project to understand the causes of fire in commercial vehicles. The department does not have evidence of what role litter plays in these incidents. As set out in the Litter Strategy for England (2017), the Government is committed to reducing the amount of litter on our network.

Railways: Cycleways

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on their plans to increase cycling and walking of the remit provided to Highways England Historic Railways Estate, particularly its practice of objecting to new cycle paths on grounds of cost; and what steps they plan to take to ensure that policies within different parts of the Department for Transport are coordinated.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department for Transport supports the development of routes where there is high propensity for increasing functional cycling and walking journeys in a cost-effective way in line with the Government’s Cycling and Walking Strategy, and we are working with 46 local authorities to develop Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans. In doing this, the department needs to take account of additional liabilities resulting from any granting of public access to, or transfer of, parts of the Historical Rail Estate that could create short or long-term improvement or maintenance costs to Highways England. The department believes that in such circumstances a transfer of the assets to the relevant local authority is the appropriate way forward so that the local authority can ensure that the relevant property conforms to local policies and that safety, security and long-term maintenance issues are addressed. Departmental officials are willing to support discussions relating to any such transfers.

Roads: Litter

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether litter removal is a key performance indicator for Highways England; and if not, why not.

baroness vere of norbiton: There is currently no key performance indicator as part of the Road Investment period (2015 – 2020). This is due to Highways England having a statutory duty under Section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to ensure, so far as is practicable, that its land and highways are kept clear of litter and refuse.

Highways England

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Highways England has set up a Stakeholder Advisory Panel; and if so, who are the members of that panel.

baroness vere of norbiton: Highways England’s Stakeholder Advisory Panel was set up in 2017 and it brings together representatives with experience in business, local government and transport planning. Membership of the panel includes representatives of the Association of Directors for Environment, Planning and Transport, the British Chambers of Commerce, the Local Government Association, the Confederation of British Industry, the Environment Agency, Homes England, the Local Enterprise Partnerhip Network, the National Infrastructure Commission, the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors, the Royal Town Planning Institute and each sub-national transport body.

Railways: Passengers

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Secretary of State for Transport on 5 June (HCWS1594), what assessment they have made of the progress report on revisions to regulations on passenger rights; what submissions they made to that report; and what steps they will take in response.

baroness vere of norbiton: In the UK many aspects of rail passengers’ rights already go beyond EU requirements.We have reviewed and noted the Progress Report. We will continue to work closely with the Commission and others to deliver the revisions to regulations on rail passenger rights.

Railways: North of England

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the reliability and punctuality of train services between Manchester and Leeds.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department for Transport and Transport for the North appointed Richard George, Former Head of Transport at the London 2012 Olympic Games, to work with the Industry and Stakeholders to establish underlying performance issues and to make recommendations. The Industry has introduced changes to their timetables and train plans to improve timetable resilience and improve service performance. Since the May 2019 service change date, performance has improved.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Bombardier: Belfast

lord rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Bombadier about that firm's decision to sell its Belfast operations.

lord henley: My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Minister for Business and Industry, and government officials have had discussions with Bombardier, and will continue to do so, about their decision to sell the Northern Ireland Aerostructures and Engineering Services operation to focus its aerospace division on business jets.The Belfast plant, its expertise and its highly skilled and dedicated staff will be highly sought after. The Government will work with potential buyers to ensure this successful and ambitious business is positioned for future growth.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

lord donoughue: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to lay a fully-costed impact assessment before both Houses of Parliament before making any adjustment to the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.

lord henley: The Committee on Climate Change’s (CCC) detailed and analytically rigorous report has shown that this goal is now feasible, deliverable, and can be met within the same cost envelope (an annual resource cost equivalent to 1-2% of GDP in 2050) as was estimated for the 80% target when it was set in 2008. As the CCC identify, there are a wide range of benefits which could partly or fully offset these costs.While the transition to a net zero economy undoubtedly requires new investment, it also opens up opportunities for the UK to build on its areas of strength, including in offshore wind manufacture, provision of green finance, and development of electric vehicles.Policies to support delivery of a net zero target will be subject to impact assessments in the usual way.

Carbon Emissions

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure thattheir plans to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 do not affect the economic competitiveness of UK industries.

lord henley: Meeting the costs of the transition to net zero emissions in a fair and balanced way – including the need to maintain the competitiveness of British businesses, particularly the most energy intensive – is a crucial issue.The Government has taken a wide range of steps to support UK industries in reducing emissions in a cost-effective way and placed clean growth at the heart of our Industrial Strategy to ensure UK industries can seize the opportunities of a net zero economy.We have also committed to carrying out a review of how the transition will be funded, and how the costs will fall, to ensure the UK can maintain and strengthen its economic competitiveness.

Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Henley on 9 May (HL15286), whether they intend to prioritise strengthening the powers available to insolvency practitioners to take recovery action where value has been extracted from a company prior to insolvency and to require any such related funds to be returned.

lord henley: In 2018, the Government published detailed proposals to reform corporate insolvency laws including strengthening the powers available to insolvency office-holders to challenge transactions and take recovery action where value has been extracted from a company as it approaches insolvency. The Government remains committed to introduce these changes as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Equal Pay: Ethnic Groups

baroness mcgregor-smith: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the results of the consultation on ethnicity pay reporting, which closed on 11 January.

baroness mcgregor-smith: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce the mandatory reporting of ethnicity pay gaps for companies operating in the UK.

lord henley: My rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister committed to introduce mandatory ethnicity pay reporting and consulted on how to do so. We received over 300 detailed responses to the consultation. We are working with stakeholders to understand how best to take forward the proposals and will announce next steps in due course. We are also grateful for your continuing support in helping us progress this important agenda.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theWritten Answer by Lord Henley on 16 April (HL15075), whether they will publish the minutes of the discussions between the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and UKResearch and Innovation (UKRI) on the possibility of new research funding for Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) demonstrators; when a decision will be reached on new funding for such demonstrators; and what further meetings are planned with UKRI to discuss GGR technologies.

lord henley: A decision on new funding for GGR demonstrators is pending with the my rt. hon. Friend Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and with HM Treasury. No further meetings with UKRI on the specific topic of GGR technologies are currently planned.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 17 April (HL15078), when they expect to complete, and publish, their study of different options for incentivising Greenhouse Gas Removal technologies.

lord henley: The study on options for incentivising Greenhouse Gas Removal technologies is near completion and we aim to publish it in due course.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Egypt: Prisoners

lord alderdice: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they have taken to enquire about the health and well-being of Dr Essam El-Haddad and his son Gehad El-Haddad, who are being detained by Egyptian authorities.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Egypt is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Human Rights Priority Country and the UK regularly raises concerns about human rights with the Government of Egypt. We are concerned about reports of torture and mistreatment in detention in Egypt. We have not raised these individual cases with the Egyptian authorities, but will continue to urge them to ensure all detainees are treated in accordance with relevant international human right standards.We have raised these concerns in public, including in our statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 12 March and through the FCO’s Human Rights Priority Country reports, and in private in meetings with Egyptian Government representatives in London and in Cairo. We shall continue to call on Egypt to take action to release journalists and political detainees who remain imprisoned, review mass judicial decisions and remove restrictions on civil society.

Omar al-Bashir

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) locate, (2) identify, and (3) freeze, any UK bank accounts which are being used to hold funds embezzled by Omar al-Bashir.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Omar al-Bashir is not subject to financial measures in the UK. The Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation, part of Her Majesty's Treasury, maintains a list of entities subject to such measures which is publically available. The onus is on financial institutions to comply with all bilateral and multilateral measures.

Syria: Chemical Weapons

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the authenticity of the report from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Engineering Assessment of Two Cylinders at the Douma Incident, dated 27 February, and (2) any differences of that report with the final report of the OPCW regarding the incident of alleged use of toxic chemicals as a weapon in Douma on 7 April 2018, which found that there was evidence consistent with the hypothesis that chlorine cannisters had been dropped from aircraft.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We welcomed the Fact Finding Mission’s (FFM) final report of March which drew a clear conclusion of reasonable grounds to believe a toxic chemical, likely molecular chlorine, was used as a weapon. On 28 May the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapon Director General confirmed all evidence and views were considered in preparing the FFM report. The Technical Secretariat stands by the findings and we continue to have confidence in both our own and the FFM’s conclusions about this attack.

Syria: Islamic State

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is part of the purpose of the Global Coalition Against Daesh to uphold United States sanctions on Syria.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The purpose of the Global Coalition is to degrade and defeat Daesh. As part of this work, the Global Coalition is engaged in a comprehensive campaign to disrupt and prevent Daesh from raising, moving and using funds. Enforcing bilateral sanctions on Syria is not part of the Coalition's mandate.

Israel: Palestinians

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the fears expressed bythe United Nations Relief and Works Agencyfor Palestine Refugees in the Near East concerning the food supply for Gaza from June onwards;and about the approval for the taking of new Palestinian land for the Hawara and Al-Aroub by-passes in the Occupied West Bank.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK remains concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv has carried out demarches on the Israel authorities to go further in easing movement and access restrictions on Gaza. We would also oppose any steps to take further Palestinian land. We regularly raise our concerns on the issue of settlements with the Government of Israel and urge it to reverse its policy of settlement expansion.

Gaza: Fisheries

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the restoration of the full 20-mile coastal fishing zone at Gaza.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We regularly raise with the Government of Israel the urgent need to ease all access and movement restrictions on Gaza. This includes easing fishing limits which would help to restore the fishing industry.

Turkey: Kurds

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement made by Abdullah Ocalan, through his lawyers, on 22 May and the subsequent ending of hunger strikes; and what steps they will take to help develop a democratic process within Turkey aimed at peace and national reconciliation.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​I am pleased to note that Abdullah Öcalan was granted access to lawyers on two occasions in May and I welcome the end of the hunger strikes. We hope that a peace process can be resumed in the future and have provided funding to a number of civil society organisations in Turkey seeking to build dialogue between different relevant actors on the Kurdish issue. We shall maintain our support for legitimate and democratic Kurdish groups in Turkey. Nevertheless, Mr Öcalan remains in our view a convicted terrorist and we condemn the acts of violence perpetrated by the PKK as we condemn all forms of terrorism.

Cameroon: France

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 24 May (HL15677),whether intheir discussions with the government of France they raised the impact of that country’s policies on the humanitarian situation in Cameroon; and what has been the response by the government of Franceto any such discussion.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We regularly discuss the humanitarian situation in Cameroon with our French counterparts, who share our concerns about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon, as highlighted in statements made by the UK and France on 4 June at the UN Security Council briefing on the UN Regional Office on Central Africa. France supported the joint UK/Austria statement on Cameroon at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2019 which called for safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access to affected populations and for the establishment of an inclusive political dialogue to address the root causes of the conflict. We will continue to discuss developments in Cameroon with international partners, including France, to encourage and support efforts to resolve the crisis. It is vital that all parties now work together to secure a peaceful future for all Cameroonians.

Cameroon: Armed Conflict

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 24 May (HL15677), what has been the outcome of their representations to the government of Cameroonabout (1) the recent violence in that country, including the razing of villages and the killing of women and children, and (2) that government’s ban on the video recording of such violence.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK remains deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon and regularly makes representations to the Government of Cameroon about high levels of violence, the urgent need for unhindered humanitarian access to affected populations and the importance of upholding human rights including freedom of expression. We welcome the recent visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Government of Cameroon's reported openness to working with the UN to address the severe humanitarian and human rights situation. It is imperative that urgent action is now taken by the Government of Cameroon, with the support of regional partners and the wider international community, to prevent further escalation of the crisis. This includes the establishment of a credible political dialogue to address the root causes of the conflict and the investigation of all human rights abuses and violations and abuses. The UK stands ready to support.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have discussed with the government ofZimbabwereportsby human rights and civil society organisations in that country of a crackdown against activists, including the recent case of seven activists who were detained on treason charges in May at Harare International Airport on their return from the Maldives.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We continue to raise our serious concerns regarding the arrests of civil society activists in Zimbabwe. Our Ambassador in Harare raised the case of the seven activists with Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Moyo on 30 May. Embassy officials have also attended court hearings. The UK provides extensive financial and technical assistance to civil society organisations in Zimbabwe who support Zimbabwean citizens in holding the state to account.

Bahrain: Technical Assistance

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the actual spending for the programme of technical and practical assistance to the government of Bahrain in the 2018/19 financial year.

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the allocated budget for the programme of technical and practical assistance to the government of Bahrain for the 2019/20 financial year.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Integrated Activity Fund funded activity in all six Gulf States including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Many of the projects and programme activities were delivered regionally, so it is not possible to provide a breakdown by beneficiary state.

Bahrain: Capital Punishment

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of capital punishment in Bahrain, following the upholding of 12 death sentences in May and reports that three of those individuals have exhausted all legal remedies available to them and are at risk of imminent execution.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK's position on the use of the death penalty is longstanding and clear; we oppose its use in all circumstances and countries. The Government of Bahrain is fully aware of our position.

Israel: Gaza

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported view of the Director-General of Reporters Without Borders, Christophe Deloire, that the Israeli army had deliberately targeted journalists in the Gaza Strip.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK fully supports the need for an independent and transparent investigation into events in Gaza since the start of the Great March of Return in March 2018. We have repeatedly stressed to Israel the importance of using proportionate force, and the specific need to protect journalists, medics and children. The UK is committed to the promotion of media freedom and the protection of journalists, as an essential element of democracy. Officials from the British Consulate in Jerusalem and our Embassy in Tel Aviv hosted a roundtable in April with foreign journalists serving in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to discuss this issue.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they are making to the government of Israel about the imprisonment of a 12 year-old Palestinian girl who was reportedly interrogated twice without an attorney or her parents present.

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they will make to the government of Israel about the violence reportedly used during the arrest by Israeli forces of a child in the Jabal Johar area on 22 May.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are not aware of the specific details of the incident referred to but have concerns about continued reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention and continue to seek improvements to Israeli practices. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv last raised our concerns with the Israeli Ministry of Justice on 6 June.

West Bank: Demolition

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they are making to the government of Israel about the demolition on 13 February by the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem of a Wastewater Screening Station and other Palestinian-owned facilities in the Bir 'Ona area of Beit Jala town without notice.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​While we have not made any representations on this specific incident, we have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concern at the increase in demolitions of Palestinian properties in Area C of the West Bank. We call on them to cease the policy of demolitions and provide a clear, transparent route to construction for Palestinians in Area C.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Israel about the detention by Israeli forces of Abeer Ziyad, Director of the Women Center of A-Thuri in Silwan in east Jerusalem.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not raised this case with the Israeli authorities.

West Bank: Schools

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about the auction of prefabricated classrooms that were confiscated by Israeli forces from a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The EU missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah have written to the Israeli authorities, calling on them to 'return the confiscated items to their intended beneficiaries without precondition as soon as possible; otherwise to provide compensation without delay for the dismantled and confiscated assets'. Alongside other EU member states, the UK continues to raise these issues with the Government of Israel.

Yasir Arman

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Sudan about the arrest and detention of Yasir Arman; and what information they have about his (1) whereabouts, and (2) well-being.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government condemns the arrest and detention of Yasir Arman by the Sudanese security forces. We are aware that Yasir Arman has been deported to South Sudan. We urge restraint and condemn any acts of violence. The UK also calls for the legitimate demands of Sudanese people to be respected. Violence must not be used, including against opponents. Sudanese people should not be faced with the threat of arbitrary detention. We continue to call upon the Sudanese authorities that all detainees should be treated in accordance with international standards. Our Ambassador in Khartoum made clear to the Deputy Chair of the Transitional Military Committee, on April 15, the steps that needed to be taken to improve the situation in Sudan, including the release of all political detainees. We also engage regularly with civil society groups on the issue of detainee treatment.

Sudan: Politics and Government

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to the military leadership in Sudan for the release of Yasir Arman; and whether they have sought information on the number of peaceful protestors who have been detained in that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government condemns the arrest and detention of Yasir Arman by the Sudanese security forces. We call for his immediate release and for the legitimate demands of Sudanese people to be respected. Violence must not be used, including against opponents. We consistently made clear to the former Government of Sudan our expectation that all detainees should be treated in accordance with international standards; we continue to call upon the Sudanese authorities to do so. Our Ambassador in Khartoum made clear to the Deputy Head of the Transitional Military Committee, on 15 April, the steps that needed to be taken to improve the situation in Sudan, including the release of all political detainees. We also engage regularly with civil society groups on the issue of detainee treatment

Sri Lanka: Travel Information

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will change their advice that British citizens should avoid all but essential travel to Sri Lanka, following recent action by several EU and Commonwealth countries to soften their travel advisories on that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​On 6 June the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice was revised and no longer advises against all but non-essential travel to Sri Lanka.We have kept our travel advice for Sri Lanka under constant review since the Easter Sunday attacks. Our latest assessment of the risk to British nationals means we have revised our travel advice accordingly.The safety and security of British nationals is always our sole concern in determining travel advice and we continue to advise British nationals travelling to Sri Lanka to remain vigilant and check our travel advice on gov.uk.

Israeli Settlements: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about the reported increase of violence by settlers towards Palestinian property in Al-Tuwani and elsewhere, including the destruction of olive groves and writing offensive graffiti.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to condemn violence by settlers against Palestinians and stress the importance of the Israel security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised settler violence with the Israeli Ministry of Justice on 6 June. Under international law, Israel, as the occupying power, has an obligation to take all measures in its power to protect the Palestinian population from acts of violence.

Islamic State: Nuclear Weapons

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that ISIS is seeking to secure access to a nuclear weapons capability from Pakistan.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We believe that the global threat from nuclear terrorism remains serious and real, and it is something that we regularly raise with partners, including Pakistan. All countries have a responsibility to guard nuclear material and expertise to the very highest standards - improving and adapting their security measures in line with changing threats. Pakistan has committed to ensuring the highest standards of nuclear security.

Indonesia: Police

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 28 May (HL15771), whether any government department has provided funding or training for the Indonesian police unit Detachment 88, or its successors, since 2017.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government does not provide any funding for police units in Indonesia. However, since the 2005 terrorist attack in Bali, the British and Indonesian Governments have worked together to tackle the threat posed by international terrorist groups which includes the delivery of counter-terrorism capacity building training to Detachment 88 through the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Co-operation. Our support includes teaching a broad range of counter terrorism investigation and analytical skills. We have also provided Detachment 88 with essential equipment to enhance their forensic, surveillance and IT capabilities. Such support helps the Indonesian authorities defend against all terrorist threats.

Sudan: Politics and Government

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they are making, through the UK–USA–Norway Troika and bilaterally, to ensure that leading opposition figures in Sudan such as Yasir Aman are (1) released, and (2) included in any future dialogue with the transitional military council.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government condemns the arrest and detention of Yasir Arman by the Sudanese security forces. We call for his immediate release and for the legitimate demands of Sudanese people to be respected. Violence must not be used, including against opponents.The UK continues to engage with a range of opposition, members of the protest movement as well as the Transitional Military Council (TMC). The UK, alongside Troika partners Norway and the US, has called for all sides to engage in an inclusive dialogue that leads to a swift, orderly and peaceful transition to civilian rule. On 4 June in a joint Troika statement, we condemned the recent violent attacks by Sudanese security forces against peaceful protestors in Sudan which left many civilians dead or injured. We also expressed serious concern over TMC's announcement that it would cease negotiations and called for an agreed transfer of power to a civilian-led government.On 6 June, the Minister for Africa summoned the Sudanese Ambassador to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to express our grave concerns at the use of violence against civilians by the Sudanese authorities. The UK has called for the human rights of all Sudanese people to be respected, and for the resumption of the political process leading to an agreed peaceful transfer of power to a civilian-led government, as demanded by the Sudanese people. We will continue to engage with all sides to support a settlement that works for all Sudanese people.

Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo

the earl of sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo in the transitional military council in Sudan and the activities of the Rapid Support Forces in that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK continues to engage with a range of opposition, Transitional Military Council and members of the protest movement. As part of these interactions our Ambassador to Khartoum met the Deputy Chair of the Transitional Military Committee, Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo ("Hametti"), on April 15 to call for steps to improve the situation in Sudan; a swift move to a civilian transitional government; and, the release of all political detainees. Our Ambassador also expressed concerns at the past role of the Rapid Support Forces. We have been consistent in public and in private that there must be accountability for the crimes committed by members of the former regime. We condemn the violent attacks by Sudanese security forces against peaceful protestors in Sudan last week, which left many dead or injured. The Transitional Military Council bears full responsibility.

Department of Health and Social Care

Preventive Medicine

baroness young of old scone: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the prevention Green Paper will be published; and whether preventing increasing disease burden among progressive conditions will be examined in the Green Paper.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Green Paper on Prevention will be published later this year. We are considering a number of policy options for the Prevention Green Paper and will be mindful of the burden of progressive conditions.

Preventive Medicine

baroness young of old scone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve secondary prevention for people with long-term conditions.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The National Health Service has a wide range of secondary prevention services aimed at detecting diseases early and either halting or slowing their progression. This includes many long-term conditions.The focus on prevention including secondary prevention has been strengthened with the publication of Prevention is Better than Cure, the Government’s vision document in November 2018 and the publication of the NHS Long Term Plan in January 2019.Prevention is Better than Cure, focuses on both preventing disease and supporting patients to manage conditions most effectively where they have arisen. A copy is attached. The Long Term Plan includes several new actions to help people with long-term conditions, with a particular focus on the communities and groups of people most affected by these problems.



Prevention is better than cure
(PDF Document, 891.74 KB)

Preventive Medicine

baroness young of old scone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what engagement activity they are planning for the prevention Green Paper; and when they expect such activity to begin.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: In the Prevention Vision document, Prevention is better than cure, we committed to publishing a Prevention Green Paper setting out Government plans on prevention in more detail. Planning for this Green Paper is now underway, and officials will be working with a range of external partners and other Government departments on the content. Full details will be available later this year, when the Green Paper is published.

Lingo Flamingo: Finance

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide funding for the Lingo Flamingo project to help dementia sufferers with their cognitive abilities, in England, as is currently the case in Scotland.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: We have no plans to fund the Lingo Flamingo project for England.NHS England allocates funding to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and NHS England Specialised Commissioning which commission services on behalf of their local populations. It is for CCGs and Specialised Commissioning to decide how best to use the funding allocated to them in line with local healthcare needs and priorities, working with other local commissioners and organisations and taking account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Homelessness

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2 May (HL Deb, col 1062), when they will send, and place a copy in the Library of the House, the letter referred to.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: I would like to thank the Baroness for participating in the question on homelessness. She raised an important point in relation to the impact of changes to social security on levels of rough sleeping and homelessness, and I committed to write to her to provide further details. I did so on the 30th May and I trust she has now received it.It has also been laid in the library of the House of Lords.

Ministry of Defence

AWACS: Procurement

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they chose to implement an E-7 Wedgetail conversion programme to maintain the UK’s Airborne Early Warning and Control capability rather than procure new Boeing 737–700 AEW&C aircraft.

earl howe: The E-7 Wedgetail is a military derivative based on the Boeing 737 NG civil aircraft and has always been produced by modifying that aircraft with a sophisticated radar and mission system suite along with other military systems. Wherever the E-7 is produced it involves the modification of the base aircraft and by undertaking this work at Marshall Aerospace and Defence in Cambridge we have ensured that several hundred highly-skilled jobs have been sustained in the United Kingdom.

AWACS: Procurement

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the procurement of Boeing E-7 Wedgetail aircraft will be subject to oversight by the Single Source Regulations Office; and if so, whether Boeing has agreed to the baseline profit rate.

earl howe: The prime contract with Boeing Defence UK for the E-7 Wedgetail is assessed as a qualifying defence contract (QDC) in accordance with the Single Source Contract Regulations (SSCR) and is subject to oversight by the Single Source Regulations Office as any QDC would be. The profit rate for the contract has been agreed in accordance with the SSCR six-step calculation process which begins with the baseline profit rate applicable at the time of contract placement.

Navy: Housing

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made with initiatives to (1) encourage and enable serving members of the Royal Navy to purchase homes near to bases where they are serving, and (2) provide information about financial assistance that is available to those members.

earl howe: As well as access to Forces Help to Buy and Government Help to Buy schemes the Royal Navy is leading on the tri-service pilot for the Future Accommodation Model which will commence at the end of September 2019. This will offer further incentive for home-ownership for Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel.

Cabinet Office

Civil Servants: Languages

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct an audit of language skills across the Civil Service.

lord young of cookham: There are no plans to conduct an audit of language skills across the Civil Service.

Election Offences

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 3 July 2017 (HL3), 15 September 2017 (HL1448), and 13 October 2017 (HL1671), and by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 21 December 2017 (HL3975), 16 March 2018 (HL6045), 20 November 2018 (HL11393 and HL11394), and 17 May (HL15556), what plans they have to introduce legislation to prevent any abuse of the electoral system in the UK.

lord young of cookham: On 5th May the Minister for the Constitution announced a range of new measures to safeguard UK elections by cracking down on intimidation, influence and disinformation.As part of that, the Government has committed to: legislating for a new electoral offence of intimidation; clarifying the electoral offence of undue influence of a voter; implementing an imprints regime for digital election material; and launching a consultation on electoral integrity. Before formally launching the consultation, the Government will be inviting the views of interested groups to establish what the consultation could seek to address, and also see what scope there is for broad cross-party agreement.Any legislative changes relating to issues or specific cases in Northern Ireland would, however, be a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Elections: Peterborough

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the number of (1) electors, (2) postal votes cast, and (3) proxy votes applied for, in the Peterborough constituency for (a) the general election in 2010 and (b) the by-election on 6 June.

lord young of cookham: Data on the number of electors, postal votes cast, and proxy votes applied for in general elections or by-elections are not collected by the Government.

European Parliament: Elections

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many electors required a postal ballot for the recent elections to the European Parliament.

lord young of cookham: Data on the number of postal votes applied for and cast are not collected by the Government. The Electoral Commission will publish this data alongside its statutory report on the European Parliamentary elections in the Autumn.

Mesothelioma: Death

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have died from mesothelioma in each year from 2010 to the last year for which figures are available.

lord young of cookham: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.   Dear Baroness Kennedy, As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am replying to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people have died from mesothelioma in each year from 2010 to the last year for which figures are available (HL16256). The Office for National Statistics is responsible for publishing statistics on deaths registered in England and Wales. The most recent figures published are for deaths registered in 2017[1]. Cause of death is defined using the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10 edition (ICD-10). The underlying cause of death is defined by the World Health Organisation as (a) the disease or injury that initiated the train of events directly leading to death, (b) the circumstances of the accident or violence that produced the fatal injury. Deaths due to an underlying cause of mesothelioma would be assigned the ICD-10 code C45. Table 1 below provides the numbers of deaths from mesothelioma registered in England and Wales between 2010 and 2017.  Yours sincerely,John PullingerTable 1: Number of deaths with an underlying cause of mesothelioma, persons, England and Wales, 2010 to 2017[2],[3],[4],[5] Year20102011201220132014201520162017Deaths2,0792,1012,2142,2612,3562,3082,3132,279 Source: Office for National Statistics  [1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/deathsregisteredinenglandandwalesseriesdrreferencetables[2]Underlying cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th edition (ICD-10) code C45.[3]Deaths under 28 days are excluded.[4]Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents.[5]Figures are for deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in each calendar year.

Elections

baroness stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government when their consultation on electoral integrity will be launched; and whether that consultation will be open to the public.

lord young of cookham: The Government recently announced measures to strengthen and protect our democratic processes, which includes a consultation on electoral integrity. Before we launch the consultation, we will be holding discussions with interested groups and exploring the scope for cross-party agreement. The consultation will be open to all interested parties, including members of the public, and it will be published in due course.

Treasury

Soft Drinks: Taxation

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current annual revenue from theSoft Drinks Industry Levy.

lord young of cookham: Receipts from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy were £240m in 2018/19.